Signing Day: Ole Miss muscles in on power programs

Grayson High School football player Robert Nkemdiche, the nation's top recruit, announced his intent to play college football for Ole Miss during a signing day ceremony at his high school auditorium in Grayson, Ga. today.

Ole
Miss muscled in on the powerhouses that usually dominate national
signing day, landing some of the most sought-after prospects in the
country on college football's annual first-Wednesday-in-February frenzy.

The
Rebels, coming off a promising 7-6 season in their first season under
coach Hugh Freeze, had the experts swooning by signing three of the
bluest chips still on the board and building a well-rounded class
otherwise.

The day started with defensive end Robert Nkemdiche
from Loganville, Ga., rated the No. 1 recruit in the country by just
about everyone who ranks them, deciding to join his brother, Denzel, in
Oxford, Miss.

"I feel like it's the right place for me," Nkemdiche
said after slipping on a red Ole Miss cap. "I feel like they can do
special things and they're on the rise. I feel like going to play with
my brother, we can do something special."

Nkemdiche originally
committed to Clemson last year, then backed off that and narrowed his
picks down to LSU, Florida and Mississippi — and the Rebels beat the big
boys.

They weren't done. Coaches in the Ole Miss war room were
exchanging hugs and high-fives again a couple hours later when Laremy
Tunsil, a top-rated offensive tackle from Lake City, Fla., picked the
Rebels over Florida State and Georgia.

"Tunsil to Ole Miss I think
was the biggest surprise of the whole (recruiting season)," said JC
Shurburtt, national recruiting director for 247Sports.com.

And, as
if the Ole Miss needed more good news, highly touted defensive back
Antonio Conner from nearby Batesville, Miss., chose the Rebels over
national champion Alabama.

The end result was a class good enough to even catch the attention of LeBron James.

Crazy
good. While the Rebels racked up, it's important to remember they still
have plenty of ground to gain on the rest of their conference
competition.

Nick Saban reloaded the Crimson Tide with a class that Rivals.com ranked No. 1 in the country.

SEC
powers Florida, LSU and Georgia pulled in typically impressive classes.
SEC newcomer Texas A&M cracked the top 10 of several rankings. Even
Vanderbilt, coming off a nine-win season, broke into the top 25.

It's
the cycle of life in the SEC, which has won seven straight BCS
championships. Stock up on signing day and scoop up those crystal
footballs at season's end.

___

SLIPPING AWAY FROM USC

Signing day didn't do much to soothe the scars left from a difficult season for Southern California.

NCAA
sanctions limited the number of scholarships coach Lane Kiffin and the
Trojans could hand out this year, and then as signing day approached USC
had several players who had given verbal commitments change their
minds.

The most notable defection on signing day was five-star
defensive back Jalen Ramsey of Brentwood, Tenn., who flipped to Florida
State. Defensive end Jason Hatcher from Louisville, Ky., bailed on USC
and signed with Kentucky, and defensive end Torrodney Prevot from
Houston not only reneged on his USC commitment, but he landed at Pac-12
rival Oregon.

"People expected (Prevot) to flip from USC, but they thought it would be to Texas A&M," Shurburtt said.

USC's
class won't be lacking blue chippers. Quarterback Max Browne from
Washington is considered the next in a long line of topflight Trojans
quarterbacks, and Kenny Bigelow from Maryland is rated among the best
defensive linemen in the nation.

Kiffin will be banking on quality
to make up for the lack of quantity, but that's a precarious way to
play a game as uncertain as recruiting.

____

IF MOMMA'S NOT HAPPY ...

Alex
Collins, a top running back prospect out of Plantation, Fla., announced
on Monday night that he was going to Arkansas instead of Miami.

It was considered a huge victory for new Razorbacks coach Bret Bielema.

But
on Wednesday morning, when it was time to make it official, Collins'
letter of intent didn't come spinning through the fax machine in
Fayettville, Ark.

There were some odd reports about Collins' mother not being happy with her son's decision to go so far from home.

College
coaches aren't allowed to talk about specific players before they sign,
but Bielema did acknowledge during his signing day news conference that
Arkansas' class of 22 players could "grow by one."

___

THE BIG TWO

Ohio
State and Michigan received two thumbs up from experts on their signing
day classes. They all had the Buckeyes and Wolverines around top five
in the country.

After that, there was a drop off. Nebraska
received solid grades and Penn State, despite NCAA sanctions that
limited its class to 17 signees, held up pretty well.

"That's a tribute to the job (Penn State coach) Bill O'Brien and the staff did," Shurburtt said.

But
signing day 2013 signaled that Urban Meyer's Buckeyes and Brady Hokes'
Wolverines are primed to pull away from most of the Big Ten, and maybe —
just maybe — give the league a team or two that can challenge those SEC
teams for a national title.

___

BUILT TO LAST

Notre
Dame followed up its best season in more than two decades with
recruiting class that coach Brian Kelly hopes can keep the Fighting
Irish contending for more national titles.

The class includes a
famous name in Torii Hunter Jr., the son of the All-Star outfielder.
Hunter Jr. is a top-notch receiver prospect, though he broke his leg
during an All-Star game and it could be a while before he's back on the
football field.

Linebacker Jaylon Smith from Fort Wayne, Ind., is
generally regarded as the jewel of a class that experts have ranked
among the best in the country.

"I love agreeing with experts," Kelly said.

___

BASEBALL OR FOOTBALL?

Oklahoma hopes it has found the next Sam Bradford in Cody Thomas, a pocket passer from Colleyville, Texas.

One small problem. Thomas is also a big-time baseball player who could draw interest in the major league draft this summer.

"We
wouldn't have pursued him if we didn't feel there was a great chance
he'd be playing football," Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said.

___

QUOTABLE

South
Carolina coach Steve Spurrier said recruiting classes "don't always pan
out. Of course, they always seem to pan out at Alabama."

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